Curling irons have been around for a long time. Marcel-type, or Marcel, curling irons were invented and later patented by Francois Rene Marcel in 1927. U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,834, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes the basic structure and workings of original Marcel curling irons. In particular, these type curling irons include a long tubular curling barrel (or rod) and an equally long concave hair clamp which pivot around a common point, like scissors. The curling barrel and the hair clamp are each attached to a corresponding handle. A freely rotatable, hard plastic tube covers each handle, providing some insulation from heat and facilitating use of the curling iron. Use of this curling iron entails heating both its curling barrel and its hair clamp in or on a stove, then inserting a section of hair between the heated barrel and clamp, and finally turning or twisting the curling iron to form a desired curl or wave.
Perhaps as a testament to its excellent design, little has changed about the Marcel curling iron in the over 70 years since its patenting in 1927. Today's Marcel curling irons follow the same basic structure and workings of the original Marcel, down even to the rotatable handle covers. One apparent innovation seems to have been the introduction of a wide selection of curling barrel diameters and shapes, or cross-sections to make smaller or larger curls and waves. For example, Kizure™ Products of Compton, Calif. sells Marcel curling irons with C-shaped cross-sections and with fixed barrel diameters of one-eighth, one-quarter, three-eighths, five-eighths, three-quarters, up to about one and a half or two inches. The length of the curling barrel and hair clamp, however, have remained relatively fixed in the five-to-seven-inch range, providing users with options to treat both wide and narrow sections of hair with the same iron.
Despite the longevity and popularity of the Marcel design, the present inventor, a professional hair stylist for 20 years, has pin pointed at least three shortcomings. First, the curling barrel (and clamp) of conventional Marcel curling irons are too long for many applications, such as making spiral curls starting at the nape area of clients. Using the conventional five-to-seven-inch-long curling barrel in this area often leads many stylists to burn their clients or to form inferior spiral curls. Second, the hair clamps of conventional Marcel curling irons typically have a square edge, which ultimately leaves undesirable creases or crimps in resulting curls or waves. And third, the rotatable hard plastic tube covering each handle gets hot and is uncomfortable for extended professional use.
Accordingly, there is a need for better performing Marcel curling irons.